Toyota Corolla

For 2007, Toyota gives Corolla buyers a choice of three trim levels: the base CE, a sport-themed S, and the luxury LE model. All have a 126-horsepower, 1.8L four-cylinder engine and can be ordered with either a manual or automatic transmission. The base CE gets standards such as power mirrors, air conditioning, and a CD player. Bumping up to the S trim gets fog lamps, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, power locks, and a handful of sporty exterior treatments. Power windows and remote keyless entry are all part of the LE.

Safety options such as anti-lock brakes, front side air bags, and curtain side air bags are available on all trims, while stability control can be added to LE models. Other options include cruise control, a rear spoiler, alloy wheels, a six-disc CD changer, and a moonroof.

The Corolla possesses a larger-than-average trunk and a 60/40 split folding rear seat, both of which make the car feel larger than it actually is. Its taut frame allows for smart handling in traffic, surprisingly so for a car in this class, and its EPA numbers (31 mpg in the city and 42 on the highway when equipped with manual transmission) are among the best in its class.

Editors' Review

I only ever used to recommend the Toyota Corolla to people who didn't care about cars. If they wanted a car that was the equivalent of elevator music -- something that just kind of... exists in the background -- the Corolla was always my number one suggestion. It's not that the car was bad by any measure, it just lacked excitement in literally every way.

But I can't do that anymore. The 2019 Corolla Hatchback (née Corolla iM Hatchback, née Scion iM) gives the Corolla lineup something it hasn't had in years: character.

Stylin'

It's not exactly ready for Initial D, but the new Corolla Hatchback proves Toyota's designers are capable of making a good-looking car now and then. The automaker's corporate nose is much more subtle than it is on the current-generation Corolla sedan, the headlights and taillights are the right kind of thin and there's a heapin' helpin' of character on the sides. My XSE tester, the sportier trim of the two, has upsized 18-inch alloy wheels a surprisingly large (but not annoying) wing atop the hatch.